The most exciting German-German spring sailing duel has begun: On Easter Monday, the two best German 49er crews - Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and Justus Schmidt with Max Boehme for the Kieler Yacht-Club - started their third and final elimination regatta in the battle for a ticket to the Olympic Games in August, sailing against each other but initially in two separate preliminary groups.
There is a lot at stake for both teams: the better team after a total of three elimination regattas can expect to be nominated for the Olympic Games in August. With 25 points in their elimination account and four points ahead of Schmidt/Boehme, Heil/Plößel started the Spanish regatta classic on Monday slightly in favour. There had been a nice scene after the last team meeting before the start with coach Thomas Rein: The four men hugged each other and wished each other luck for the series. They are friends with each other and, together with Danish Olympic champion Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen, form a highly effective international training group with the aim of winning a medal in Rio. But only one of the two German crews can attempt to realise this, as there is only one starting place per nation.
Starting signal for the Trofeo Princesa Sofía: Around 800 sailors from 60 nations celebrate Olympic sailing on the water and on land.
When friends (have to) become rivals
This week, Heil/Plößel and Schmidt/Boehme are rivals in the struggle for a lifelong dream. They have vowed to compete in the final battle in the regatta classic Trofeo Princesa Sofía Fairplay. "May the better crew win. Our big common goal is a medal in Rio. Whoever loses will support the winners on the way there," said the 49er European champion Schmidt. Erik Heil is also certain: "We have the most loyal training group in the world. They will withstand the pressure of elimination."
Schmidt/Boehme must attack with 25 points, which they earned with their victory at the 2015 European Championships. The crew that comes out on top after this regatta in terms of points from all three elimination regattas can expect to be nominated for the Olympics. Victory in the Bay of Palma de Mallorca is worth 25 points, second place is worth 22 points and third place is worth 20 points. Fourth place is worth 17 points, with one point less for each lower place. So mathematically, there are many possibilities in this German-German duel for the Rio ticket.
Both crews got off to a good start in the regatta on Monday: Schmidt/Boehme (2, 13, 2) were in fourth place after the first three races of the qualification round of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, Heil/Plößel (3, 4, 4) in ninth place. However, the final results will not be known until after the medal race on 2 April. The Spanish regatta, which is popular with Olympic sailors, also marks the final of the German 49erFX women's national elimination in the battle for the Rio ticket. Berliners Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz started with a 20-point lead over Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke and were also in sixth place overall in Spain after day one of the series.
The "Wonder Kids" are back
Without the pressure of elimination, but with a lot of desire to sail, the Kiel "Wonder Kids" Paul Kohlhoff and Carolina Werner were the best German crew off Palma on Easter Monday, were in third place after the first three races and thus made an impressive return to the top of the world just a few weeks later after a botched World Championship in February. The 470 European champions Ferdinand Gerz/Oliver Szymanski (Munich/Berlin), Annika Bochmann/Marene Steinherr (Berlin) and RS:X surfer Toni Wilhelm (Dogern) sailed to eighth place at the start.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
